Automobile signal



Y. HARADA AUTOMOBILE S IGNAL Jan. 4v, 1927.

Filed March '7. 1924 FEGURLE ,4f

FEGMR f Patented Jan. 4, 1927.

[UNITED 'STATES YOZAYEMON IIARADA, OF MOUNTAIN VIEW, CALIFORNIA.

AUTOMOBILE SIGNAL.

Application ined March 7, 1924. serial No. 1197.525.`

My invention relates to a deviceV for mounting upon an automobilewhereby the driver thereof may indicate to the drivers of other machinesand to pedestrians the course he is going to pursue; that is whether heis going to continue to drive straight ahead, or turn to right or left,or stop.

It is the object of my invention to provide a device of the characterindicated that will be positive in action, highly efficient in itspractical application, capable of being rendered visible by day andnight, compact in form and simple in construction and operation.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the complete device in position on anautomobile, part of the lat-ter broken away.

Figure 2 is a rear elevation of a portion of the device, greatlyenlarged.

Figure 3 is a side elevation of the view in Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a section through the signal element on line 4-4 ofFigure 2.

Figure 5 is an enlarged side elevation of .that portion of the deviceused for operating the signal arm.

Figure 6 is an enlarged elevation of the handle and locking mechanismfor the same.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, I show at 1 a case arrangedin a vertical plane and mounted on the edge of a windshield 2 by meansof clamps 3, and consequently lying in the plane of the wind-shield withits outer edge open as at 4. The bottom of oase 1 -is circular information with a widened portion as at. 5 fitted with a hinged door 6normally held closed by catch 7 Along the axis of portion 5 is mounted afixed pin or stub shaft 8.

On shaft 8 is revolubly mounted a signal element 9 having colored glasswindows 10-10 in its two sides and having an electric light bulb 11arranged therein as shown.

' This bulb is itted with wires 12-13 terminating in bosses 14-15 on theexterior of circular portion 5 and insulated therefrom.

On the inner surface of case 1 are arranged two arcuate contact strips16-17 Vhaving their terminals 18-19 connected to the opposite poles of abattery as at 20. The strips are so arranged that when the element 9 isrotated on its axis into any of the positions 21-22-23 the terminals14-15 will engage strips 16-17 thereby closing the lelcltrical circuitand causing the bulb toig t.`

` Signal element 9 carries a hub 24 having a coiled spring 25 engagingthe side thereof as at 26 and the stationary shaft 8 whereby to normallymaintain the element 9 encased in casing 1 as shown. In groove 27 formedin the perimeter of hub 24 is positioneda cable 28 passing through anorifice 29 in case 1 and through a flexible conduit 30 to an operatingmechanism indicated at 31.

The operating mechanism consists of an annular case 32 arranged in avertical plane and mounted upon the steering post of an automobile bymeans of a rod 33 and clamp 34. The case 32 has a Slot 35 ,formed in theupper portion of its perimeter and has a portion of one side hinged asat 36 and normally held in a closed position by a catch at 37. Withincase 32 and fixedly mounted on rod 33 is an arcuate elementV 38 providedwith spaced notches 39-40-41-42 Revolubly mounted on rod 33 within saidcase 32 and projecting through slot 35 therein is a handle 43 having arod 44 slidably mounted therein and normally held in an extendedposition by spring 45. Pivotally mounted on handle 43 is a catch 46arranged tof engage one of said slots 39-40-41-42 at one end andpivotally connected to rod 44 atl the other end. The result of Vthisconstruction is that the handle 43 is normally held in one position bythe engagement of catch 46 with slot 39. By pressing upon rods 44 thecatch is thrown out of engagement with slot 39 and the handle swungforward until the catch engages slot 40 and so on. The cable 28 beingbrought around the under side of rod 33 and attached to handle 43 itnecessarily follows that with the cable properly adjusted a movement ofthe handle from slot 39 to slot 40 will move the signal 9 lfrom itsposition in the case 1 to position 21 (turn right). 43 from slot 40 toslot 41 will move the signal from position 21 to position 22 (turnMoving handle the time it is out of case l, giving a clear Warning frombothvfront and rear of the machine. Y

It is to be understood, of course, that changes in construction and modeof operation may be made Within the scope of the appended claim.

I claim:

A signal device comprising a case adapted to be mounted upon anautomobile, a signal element pivotally mounted in said case, resilientmeans for urging said element into Y said case, and manually operatedmechanism for forcing said element out of said case, said case having acircular lower portion of greater Width than the upper portion andhaving av closure therefor, a shaft axially positioned in said circularportion and on which the signal element is mounted, a hub Jformed onsaid signal element in concentric relation to said axis and Within thecircular portion of said case and to which said resilient means and Saidmanually operated mechanism are connected.

YoZAYEMoN HARADA.

